RealNetworks financially ruins Dutch web developer for linking to freeware

Short summary, because the Google translation sucks:

His house was raided by the authorities and his computer equipment was seized because he linked to a piece of software called RealAlternative which seems to be some sort of reverse engineered codec for RealVideo. By now his legal bills have reached the massive amount of 75000 euros.

The shocking thing - apart from the fact that RealNetworks still exists this day and age - is that they never sent some sort of takedown request. The raid on his house by police is apparently the first thing he heard of any problem.

edit: According to another article, RealNetworks are claiming hundreds of thousands of euros in damages from him.